PCC, partners net $445,000 from state for dual credit project

The Oregon Education Investment Board and the Oregon Department of Education announced that Portland Community College has been awarded a $445,000 grant for its Oregon Metro Connects All Students to College Consortium. With the new funds, this partnership aims to expand the dual credit offerings in local school districts and add services that prepare students for college.

In a recent ceremony at the state Capitol Building, people pictured are, left to right, Interim PCC Grants Director Vanessa Wood, Grants Officer Bonnie Hester, Rock Creek Campus Dean of Instruction Cheryl Scott and Vice Provost for Academic Innovation and Student Success at Portland State University Sukhwant Jhaj.

The consortium, led by PCC, consists of Mt. Hood Community College, Portland State University, the Multnomah Education Service District, and Beaverton, Centennial, David Douglas, Forest Grove, Gresham-Barlow, Hillsboro, Parkrose, Portland and Reynolds school districts.

“Ensuring the college success and career readiness of Oregon students is all of our responsibility,” said Birgitte Ryslinge, interim Sylvania Campus President and co-project director with the consortium. “We are very excited to be undertaking this work with our Washington and Multnomah county K through 12 school district partners, along with Mt. Hood, PSU and the Multnomah ESD. This is the type of large scale collaboration necessary to truly move the dial for our youth and our state.”

The consortium of education partners aims to use the grant to expand dual credit offerings in math and college success courses so students can earn college credit while still in high school; create transfer degree maps to decrease time to degree completion by aligning degree requirements; establish Professional Learning Communities to improve college access between high schools, the educational service district, community colleges and universities; create a “College Going Culture Workgroup” to serve populations that historically attend college at a low rate to help them see college as a viable option; and form a Regional Resource Network for students and their families to support their college objectives.

With the new money, Oregon Metro Connects All Students to College Consortium’s goals for the 2014-15 school year include certifying an additional 65 teachers to teach dual credit math and college success courses; have nearly 80 district, college, university and MESD employees participate in Professional Learning Communities; enable 2,200 high school students to earn dual credit in math and college success offerings; add approximately 6,400 dual credits for high school students in math and college success courses; and engage more students and their families in services and activities.

“Community colleges increasingly have access to research based effective practices to help students transition effectively from high school to college, and avoid the loss of time and motivation that can occur as a result of falling behind in math,” Ryslinge added. “We are excited to work with our partner to extend and leverage work that is already occurring to help build a true college going culture in Oregon, starting in middle school and even earlier.”

The grant is one of three that were awarded by the Oregon Education Investment Board and Department of Education to statewide education consortiums ranging from $445,000 to $500,000. They are designed to replicate effective accelerated learning models, leverage system-wide collaboration, and foster a college-going culture in communities around the state. The Board is chaired by Gov. John Kitzhaber and was created in 2011 to oversee an effort to build a seamless, unified system for investing in and delivering public education from birth to college and career.

About The Author:
James Hill

James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, has been the Communications Specialist for the Office of Public Affairs at Portland Community College since November of 1999. A graduate of Portland State University, J... more »

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